Another Normal Girl

I have to laugh thinking that any of my girls are "normal," but yesterday we got Breezy's OFA results back. Normally I would scan the pretty colored papers and post, but somewhere between the agility spare bathroom (that served as my office during the Vallhund agility specialty) and the host hotel in Topeka, Kansas, I lost half of the cord to my scanner/printer/copier. sigh.

But Breezy's elbows came back NORMAL, and that was a huge relief to me. When she was about 7 months old, Breezy was still in her daredevil phase, and leaping from the back of the sofa. The result was a growth plate injury, and a broken widdle weg. Lots and lots of crate rest and leash restrictions for Daredevil Puppy was quite a challenge over several weeks, but she healed well and it was a matter of hoping for the best that by relieving the pressure for the bone that was not finished growing, we would prevent any later elbow displaysia. Just a couple of weeks ago we took the films, and I was amazed to see that the two front legs looked identical, and you could not even tell that anything had happened to that front leg. Breezy's hips came back FAIR, not surprising since I waited until only weeks before she's due to come in season. So far, the other two littermates submitted both came back GOOD, so I'm pleased with all normal results.

HomeChicken Takes a Road Trip

This is so stupid. Is it over yet??

Breezy, my sweet little red HomeChicken, took a trip to the dog show over the weekend. We went to Vermillion, South Dakota. Travelling with us were Hawk and Darby from the Hurrikane homestead, and Michelle and her Cardigan Skyla. Bree is such a homebody, she loves going for a ride in the van, and she loves visiting some of her friends' houses and her dog buddies, but she's NOT the dog who loves to go new places. So I made her travel hundreds of miles and go to a dog show anyway!!! She has a classic pout with sad eyes and ears straight out to the side.

I had no idea how Breezy would do with Skyla. Skyla and Darby and Hawk are absolute BFFs, and Bree and Darby are inseparable at home. I wasn't sure if Bree would make everyone miserable or not. But she did really great, was able to walk on a leash right alongside Skyla, and the two girls were even up on one of the beds at the hotel together for a short time.

At the dog show, Breezy told me that she still holds the opinion that smash-faced little dogs like Pugs and Frenchies are alien life forms that should be erradicated from the earth, but she showed very well in the Cardigan ring and earned Reserve to a major both days this weekend. Not bad for the HomeChicken on her first trip to a show. In her 2 1/2 years, she's shown exactly twice before this weekend. One day at 6 months and 1 day old, and then again one day last month in Gardner. Here's Bree and Skyla, watching Border Collies show on Sunday from a cool spot in the shade.

Breezy was VERY vocal in telling all of us that she has absolutely NO use for wiggling, jumping, bouncing tri-color Cardigan puppy boys named Justice, though. If you've never heard Breezy's combination whine/growl that she can sustain without taking a breath, it's quite a treat. When Justice showed up at our room to play with Skyla, Darby, and Hawk, Breezy was definitely not amused. I'm not sure she ever stopped to take a breath from her whining.

Signs of Summer!

Notice the out of control tall-grass prairie in the yard from the over 8 inches of rain in April!

Maybe it's not officially here, but we've had a few days that actually feel like summer. Just some fun shots on a nice, sunny afternoon. Giz showing off his "summer cut." I know, it always looks like a chop shop haircut that first week or so, but he's got a lot of extra skin, and he can't stand too long on the table, so we just get the necessary fur off, and he's good to go. I love watching him after his summer cut, because he runs around and acts so much like a puppy.

Uh-oh, this is a new development in the last couple of weeks... Breezy and Darby pairing up as new BFF. Any way you slice it, this can only mean Double Trouble!!

And Syd, looking oh-so sweet from the smaller dog yard, watching the birds land on top of the privacy fence. It's almost impossible to see any resemblance in these photos to the cell phone eating creature from last week! :-)

Happy Holidays from the Hurrikane Family

Kane, Gizmo, Sydney, Hawk, Savannah, and Nick

A very sleepy Kane, Gizmo, Breezy, Hawk, Savannah, Nick, and Tiggercat

Baby, uh, I mean Lady, in Red

My little Breezy. Breezy-bree. Brii-Brii Want to Play.

She's really growing up, almost two years old, and today she got to go on a trip with Frankie and Nick. We met Auntie Laura in Columbia, and we took some time to take photos. Thank goodness for golf courses! It's a real treat to take photos of a Cardigan on grass and not lose all the legs! Thanks to Laura for following us around with the camera, crawling around on the ground, and getting me off the fairway before the next round of golfers came through! Breezy almost looks superimposed in the first photo, but she wasn't. It was just a beautiful green, with trees changing color in the background.

So when do I have to stop calling Syd and Bree "The Puppies?" Since I raised them here, I think they'll always be my "puppies."

HomeChicken

There IS another red dog in the Hurrikane crew... She just doesn't make many public appearances. :-)

This is Breezy. She and Syd are littermates. I was drawn to Bree the day the pups were born, and she's the funniest, silliest girl when she wants to be. If I can't find Bree, she's probably zonked out behind the chair in the corner of the living room. But that's *only* if all possibilities for fun and zoomies are exhausted!

Breezy is very helpful with kitchen chores, like helping with the dishes, and organizing the refrigerator.

Breezy comes in very handy when one of the other dogs needs a special buddy. She and Uncle Gizzer are very close. She and Hawk are worthy adversaries when it comes to frapping.

Breezy is an odd little duck. She loves to go for walks, and for car rides, but she is not exactly thrilled about going new places. I call her the HomeChicken because she's a dog who just loves being at home with her buddies.

Breezy is "part Cardigan, part Mountain Goat" according to our friend Norma, who kept Breezy at 'daycare' when she was a younger puppy. I wanted the two girls to spend time apart and have separate lives. So Norma agreed to have Bree come visit her girls a couple of days while I was at work.


Anyway, Bree can be on one piece of furniture, and in the blink of the eye, she's across the room, and she might have gotten there without touching the floor! So, it was no surprise when she was a puppy that her jumps from the back of the sofa (hey, I tried, but she's lightning fast, and impossible to catch) resulted in a growth plate injury. :-( Poor Bree, she had to have surgery to fix her broken leg, and she was homebound for many, many weeks of her puppyhood.

Because she was homebound and not really out much, I think Breezy missed out on discovering the fun in going new places. She LOVES Aunt Julie's house, and the resident Collie is her best bud. She and Jackson can play, and play, and play some more. But in general, Breezy takes a while to warm up to new dogs. When I adopted Savannah, the old-decrepit Weimaraner in November, I thought Breezy would *never* warm up to the old girl. Breezy darted quickly around Savannah, barked at her when the old girl went by the corgi crates, and mostly Bree avoided Vannah at all cost. Um, it's not like she's never seen a Weimaraner before! Graycie was here before the puppies arrived, and definitely let them know to keep clear of her personal space right up until the day she crossed the Rainbow Bridge.


Once Savannah arrived, it took a few months, but now Breezy thinks Savannah is just the best-est friend EVER! She's just a nut. A few months ago, I took Bree to our agility building, and tried to lure her through a tiny tunnel. The look on her face explained it all. I'm pretty sure Breezy was telling me that this was, without a doubt, the stupidest thing she'd ever seen. And I think she was looking at her watch to see exactly when we'd be going home!


So, I don't expect that my little HomeChicken will be out and about travelling the country with me, but we love her just the same, and she DOES exist! :-)